Hat teimming and curling machine



(No Model) 3 SheetS- -Sheet 1.

0. H. REID. H'AT TR-IMMING AND'OUELING MACHINE. No, 292,357. Patented Jam-22. 1884.

mn/esse/J I I 111/6/ 0r 7 U TED STATES PATENT OEEic CHAELEs "H. REID, or DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

HAT TRIMMING AND CURLING MACHINE. 1

SPECIFICATION forming part of I letters latent No. 292,357, dated January 22, 1884.

Application filed September 19, 1883. (No model.)

useful Improvements in Hat Trimming and- Gurling Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the manufacture of hats, and has for its object to improve that class of machines in which the trimming, ironing, curling, planing, 820., of the hat-brims is accomplished in a single operation by the successive action of separate tools.

With this object in view my invention con sists in the construction and combination of elements, as will be hereinafter fully described,

and then specifically designated by the claims.

My present machine is in many respects similar to that shown in my former applica tion, Serial N 0. 93,604, filed May 1, 1883. My present improvements are, in fact, a carrying forward and perfecting of the principles of operation described and claimed in my said former application. In my present applica tion I have shown my improvements as applied to one only' of the series of tools which act successively on the hat-brim. It should be understood, however, that my improvements are equally applicable to any of the tools used in the manufacture of hats.

In order to enable others to understand and use my improved machine I will proceed to describe the same, referring by letters to the accompanyingtdrawings, forming part of this specification, in whichothers skilled in the art to which it appertains A represents the bed-plate of the machine, and A a sleeve made integral therewith;

B is a hollow shaft rotating in said sleeve, and B is a supporting-drum, cast with or secured to the shaft, upon whose flange a rests the former O. H

D is the clamp, which consists of a series of radial arms, D impelled outward by asorollwheel, with which the arms engage. At the outer ends of the arms are metallic bands D, as in my patent referred to. y

E is the platform upon which the hat-brim rests. I

G is the driving-pulley, which is free to rotate upon thehollow shaft .when not connected therewith by the clutch I-I. g V

I is a collar, which is slipped on over another and longer collar, K, which is rigidly attached to shaft B. The clutch-pin H rests in a groove, It, in collar K, and passes through a slot, 1', in collar I. The upper end of this pin engages in a recess, g, in pulley G.

h is a shoulder upon the clutch-pin, which is engaged by wedge H to draw the pin out of engagement with the driving-pulley.

The above parts are substantially identical with those shown and described inmy former application referred. to.

F is a central shaft, which operates clamp D.

D is a beveled gear, which slides vertically on shaft F, and is provided-witha spline, (not shown,) which engages with a groove, f, in'

shaft F. The clutch-pin rests upon the top of wheel D and moves up'or down with the wheel. A spring, h, bears against anut at the end of shaft F and against the lower side of wheel D, and acts to force said wheel, and with it the clutch-pin,upward,'so that the upperend of the clutch-pin will engage with recess 9 in driving-pulley G, thus imparting motion to the operating parts. the machine, wedge H is moved forward against collar K,'and its point engages shoulder hupon the clutch-pin andcauses it to ride down WVhen it is desired to'stop theineline of the'wedge out of engagement have shown it as placed at the end of anarm, 11 which may be pivoted, as at H, to any "to operate in any well-known manner; but I portion of the frame-work of the machine. A link, H connects this arm to a disk, H, pivoted eccentrically to the frame-work of the machine, and operated by a hand-lever, H", as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

H is a lug near the inner end of the arm, just back of the wedge, with which the clutch pin comes in contact when retracted, and which acts to stop the machine instantly, leaving the operative parts in any predetermined position.

In Fig. lthe clutch-pin isshown disengaged from the drivingmlley, and the operating wheel is forced down against the action of spring 71, and is in engagement with bevel-gear D This gear is at the end of a shaft journa-led in bearings l), which are secured to one of the legs A of the machine.

D is a hand-wheel at the other end of the shaft by means of which clamp D is operated. Lis a supplemental clamp. (See Fig. 5.)

L is a rod or shaft journaled in a standard, M, preferably made swinging, which projects upward from the frame-work of the machine.

L are arms pivoted to supports L", which are secured to red L. At the ends of the arms are curved pieces L, (see Figs. 1 and 5,) which clasp the hat firmly on the outside thereof.

In Fig. 5, N represents the hat, which is held between the curved pieces and clamp D.

L is a band extending around outside of the arms. The central rod or shaft passes through a cross-piece, L in this band.

The clamp is operated as follows: A spring,- L is coiled around the central shaft, whose upper end bears against the rigid supports L", and whose lower end acts upon the cross-piece L to force the band down, thus drawing the arms together and pressing the curved pieces against the hat. This supplemental clamp may be used in manipulating all kinds of hats, but will be found particulary useful upon soft hats.

In practice I usually cover the inside of the curved arms with leather, rubber, or cloth, as indicated at L in Fig. 1..

IV is a pin (see Figs. 1 and 5) projecting outward from band D. This pin penetrates the hat and acts to hold the hat in place. It may or may not be used in connection with the supplemental clamp.

My invention is not limited to any particular number of arms and curved pieces. In Fig. 1 I have shown a four-arm clamp, and in Fig. 5 a two-arm clamp.

The operation of this portion of my device is as follows: Clamp L being out of the way, the hat is placed over clamp D, and resting upon platform E. Clamp D is then operated by means of hand-wheel D. Clamp L is next placed over the hat, when spring L will force the banddown and cause the curved pieces to clasp the hat. The clutch is then operated by means of hand-lever H which acts to withdraw wedge H Spring h will then force wheel D, and with it the clutch-pin, upward, thus causing the pin to engage recess 9 in the driving pulley, which immediately imparts motion to the hollow shaft B and all parts carried thereby. The hat is then ready to be operated upon by different tools in the operations of trimming, ironing, curling, planing, &c. The jacks or parts which constitute the supporting and controlling mechanism are the same in all of the tools, and the particular construction of the tools forms no part of my present invention. I have therefore illustrated but one of the jacks, and will now describe my improvements therein.

0 is a sliding plate, which moves on ways 0, attached to the bed-plate ot' the machine in any suitable manner.

I is the carrier-plate, to which all of the tools are attached. In the present instance I have shown a trimmer, and shall confine my description to my improvements in connection with that tool.

D are pins, which project downward from the clamp-arms into slots Bin the supportingdrum, where they engage with sliding bars Q, as at Q in Fig. 1. Slots B open into recesses B, in which bars Q slide. The outer ends of these bars are provided'with beveled lugs Q, through which a lug, R, in rod R passes at each revolution of the supporting-drum. This rod is provided with a spline, It, see Figs. 1 and 4,) which engages in a groove, 1, in the carrier-plate, and prevents rotation. The rod is screw-threaded at its outer end, which enters a recess, 1?, extending entirely through the carrier-plate. This recess is contracted near the outer end of the carrier-plate, (see Fig. 2,) to form a bearing-shoulder, I 'for the tube or sleeve S, forming part of rod S. This sleeve is internally screwihreaded, as at S, and engages the screw-thread upon rod R. A collar, S", upon rod S, at the end of-the carrier-plate, holds said rod against longitudinal motion.

Sis a crank-arm forgonvcnience in operating rod S. L I

It will be understood from the above that as lug It is engaged by lugs Q -upon bar Q, and

rod S is held against longitudinal movementin its bearings, its rotation, by engagement with the screw-thread upon rod It, will move the carrier-plate in and out, thus giving an exceedinglyfine adjustment to the tool carried thereby. Moreover, having set the trimmer to cut a certain width of brim, it is automatically adjusted to cut the same width of brim upon any-sized hat, as each movement imparted to the clamp-arm is transmitted by parts Q, R, and S to the carrier-plate.

In assembling the parts they are so timed that the clutch-pin engages the lug upon the wedge and stops the machine at the exact instant that lug R on rod R rests between the lugs Q. 0

T is-a rod lying within a recess, 0 in the sliding plate, and provided at its outer end with a V-shaped spring-arm, T, the end of which engages with a recess, U, in aplate, U, at each revolution. Near its inner end this .knife-carrier.

rod is provided with a groove or notch, T the innerwall of which is in a vertical plane when the end of thc spring-arm has dropped into' O is a slot in the sliding plate, which extends from the inner side of the plate and interseets recess O-. A block or key, T hav- :ing parallel ends, lies within this recess and engages in notcln T",thus preventing rod R from slipping out, and also looking the carrier-plate, as will presently be described.

As already explained, the parts are so timed that the machine is stopped with lug R in engagement with lugs Q at the same instant the end of spring-arm T drops into recess U, which turns rod R sufficiently to bring the in- .ner wall of groove T into a vertical plane,

thus removing all pressure from the key and allowing the carrier-plate to be moved in and out when the clamp-arms are operated. The instant, however, that motion is imparted to plate U the end of the spring-arm is lifted out of recess U and bears upon the top of the plate. This gives rod R a slight turn and causes the inner wall of groove T to bear against the key and force it against the carrier-plate, thus locking the carrier-plate and the tool in the position to which it has been adjusted.

Plate U is not an essential element of the device, and may be omitted, if desired, and a notch made in the top of the former 0. Should the carrier-plate move slightly out of position it will be automatically readjusted when the revolution is completed, as the beveled lugs Q are sure to engage lug R, (see Fig. 7 and thus return the parts to their proper position.

Y (see Figs. 1 and 8) is a spring-plate secured to knifecarrier O, which presses down upon the hat-brim to prevent it from doubling or buckling. The outer edge of this plate is widest, and is curved inwardly, and bears against the hat just where the crown joins the brim. The sides of the plate are bent down to press against the hat-brim and'incline inwardly from the ends of the curve toward the The shape of this plate is important.

The effect of making the outer'edge of the plate widest and slanting the sides inward is to continually press the brim (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8) outward, so that doubling is impossible.

This plate is an important feature of my invention, as it enables me to trim soft hats as well as stiff ones, which could not be done prior to my invention. 4

The parts which bear against the former,

' and which impart the various motions to the 1. The central shaft, a gear capable of vertical movement on said shaft, and a spring acting to force the gear upward, in combination with the clutch-pin and driving-pulley, whereby motion is imparted to the hollow shaft and parts carried thereby.

2. The central shaft, a gear moving there on, and a spring, in combination with the driving-pulley, the clutch-pin, and a wedge which acts when in operative position to withdraw the clutch-pin and stop the rotation of the hollow shaft. 1

3. The combination, with the clutch, the driving-pulley, and the central shaft, of a spring-actuated operating-wheel, which slides on said shaft.

4. The hollow shaft, the driving-pulley 'loosely mounted thereon, and a spring-operated clutch-pin acting to connect said pulley and shaft, in combination with a wedge adapted to act on a shoulder on the clutch-pin, and having a lug or stop which engages the clutch-pin and stops the machine.

5. Gear D", journaledin bearings attached to the frame-work, in combination with'a sliding gear upon the central shaft, and means for forcing said gear down into engagement with gear D", whereby the central shaft may be rotated to operate the clutch.

6. The central shaft, sliding gear, spring 72-, and gear D having hand-wheel D, for convenience in operating, in'combination with the clutch-pin and the wedge, substantially as described.

7. In a'hat-machine, clamp D, operated-as described, in combination with clamp L, act ing upon the outside of the hat.

8. In a hat-machine, clamp D, in combination with a supplemental clamp carried by a swinging standard, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a hat-machine, rod L and arms L in combination with band L, having acrossating as described.

10. The spring-operated arms having curved pieces L", in combination with a standard and clamp, D.

11. The carrier-plate, a sliding bar connected to one of the clainparms, and means for connecting the sliding bar with the carrierplate, whereby movement of the clamp-arm is imparted to the carrier-plate, for the pur pose set forth. v

12. Bar Q, connected to one of the clamparms, and having beveled lugs Q, which engage screw-threaded rod R, in combination with an internally-screw threaded sleeve engaging rod B, said sleeve being held against longitudinal movement in the carrier-plate,

whereby rotation of the sleeve adjusts said plate to the desired position.

13. The carrier-plate having recess 1?,groove P and shoulder P, and rod S, having sleeve S and collar S in combination with rod R, having spline R and means for connecting said rod to one of the clamp-arms.

piece, and spring L all combined and oper- 14. Rod T, having a spring-arm, in combination with the sliding plate, the tool-carrier, and a key, for the purpose set forth.

15. The sliding plate having recess 0 and slot 0, and rod T, having springarm T and groove T", in combination with recess U and key T.

16. The sliding plate, rod T, and spring-arm T, in conibi nation with the carrier-plate, parts Q, R, and S, and key T.

17. The carrier-plate, an internally-threaded rotating sleeve held against longitudinal movement, and a threaded rod engaging said sleeve and connected to the clamp, whereby the carrier-plate may be adjusted by rotating the sleeve, and when adjusted conforms to the movements of the clamp.

18. The clamp and the cz'u'rier-plate, in combination with means for adjusting the carrierplate and for connecting it with the clamp.

19. Clamp D, the carrienplate, and means for adjusting the carrier-plate and connecting it with the clamp, in combination with rod T, having a spring-arm, and a key, substantially as described.

20. In that-machine, the combination, with arotating platform upon which the hat-brim rests, of a spring-plate for holding the brim out flat.

21. The combination, with the platform and clamp D, of a plate secured to the knife-carrier, said plate being widest at its outer edge and curved to conform to the hat, and having straight sides inclined backward toward the knife-carrier, and bent down to press on the brim, whereby the brim is constantly pressed outward, and doubling is prevented.

22. In a hat-machine, a shaft carrying a loose pulley and a clutch, in combination with a wedge adapted to act upon the clutch, and having a lug which stops the machine instant- 1y, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in' presence of two witnesses.

CHARL 2S H. REID.

\Vitnesses:

A. M. \Voosrinz, S. S. \VILLIiMsoX. 

